I Will Witness Your Growth

The shopping center was still bustling beneath the dark curtain of night.

The cool night breeze brought a sliver of salvation to Hachiman Hikigaya's burning heart.

As he kept walking, there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road. By the time there was no one left, even the lights ahead had disappeared.

He leaned lightly against the wall and listened to the conversation on the other side.

The two people who seemed to be arguing were both familiar to Hachiman.

Sakura, who had left the Cafe, and the clerk from the electronics store.

That was right. Sakura had hurried off to meet that otaku clerk.

"Please, don't bother me again in the future."

"Huh? Why? I'm your true fan! Do you know how much I like you?"

The clerk wore a crazed smile unlike his usual one as he stepped closer and closer to Sakura.

Sakura backed away in fear.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, someone tapped the eavesdropping Hachiman on the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Ichinose.

"Why are you here?"

"I saw you in the shopping center earlier. I was a little curious, so I followed you."

"Keep your voice down."

Hachiman pressed his index finger to his lips, then pulled Ichinose closer.

The sudden closeness made Ichinose blush involuntarily.

Hachiman's voice reached her ear, and the more she listened, the wider her mouth opened.

"You mean...?"

Ichinose frowned. Hachiman nodded and had her peek outside, where she saw Sakura confronting the clerk.

"No, that isn't love!"

Sakura gathered her courage and shouted. She grabbed a handful from her schoolbag, and a large pile of letters fell to the ground.

The clerk froze in place. Looking at the letters he had written to her scattered on the ground, his expression stiffened.

"Those are letters I wrote for you. How could you throw them away?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Please don't do this again."

"No, you must not have seen my feelings for you. Touch me and feel my heartbeat. Then you'll understand how I feel about you."

The clerk smiled and tried to grab Sakura's hand. Her face went pale as a terrible premonition welled up inside her.

Just then, sensing that the time was right, Hachiman left Ichinose behind and rushed to the clerk's side, stopping his hand in midair.

"Sorry, but please know when to stop."

Sakura was slightly stunned by Hachiman's arrival.

It was him again. When she was in despair, he had appeared once more to save her.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The clerk flew into a rage from embarrassment and wanted to teach this brat who had barely grown any hair a lesson.

"Please don't do that. I recorded everything on my phone, so if you don't want to get fired, please stop."

Ichinose stepped forward as well, holding up her phone as though she really had been recording.

Only Hachiman knew that she was merely bluffing.

The clerk angrily bit his lip. Faced with the situation, he could only abandon the wicked thoughts in his heart.

"Sorry, I was just joking. Please don't take it seriously."

The clerk put on his usual smile, scratched his head, and left without causing them any further trouble.

After he left, both Sakura and Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief.

Sakura cautiously looked at Hachiman, afraid that she had caused them trouble.

"I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize."

Hachiman smiled, and Sakura immediately relaxed.

He was not angry. Thank goodness.

"But next time, please don't face something this dangerous by yourself. If you can, you can ask me to help you.

Consider it repayment for saving me."

Hachiman cautioned her. If they had not appeared, there was no telling how dangerous Sakura's fate might have been while facing that obsessed clerk alone.

"I understand..."

"Hi, hi! You're the legendary Shizuku, right? Please shake my hand!"

Ichinose emerged from behind Hachiman, grinning as she held out her fair hand. Sakura was a little flustered, but in the end, she shook it.

"Wow! I don't want to wash my hands for the next week!"

Ichinose's eyes sparkled as she stared at the hand that had held Sakura's, speaking delightedly.

Sakura smiled shyly. She did not think it was anything worth being so happy about.

"Then please shake my hand too!"

An unexpected voice rang out. Sakura stared blankly at Hachiman, who was holding out his hand to her.

"Huh? Huh?!"

On the way back to the Dormitory, Hachiman took on the duty of escorting Sakura home because he was worried she might run into that clerk again while alone.

Like Ichinose, Sakura stared at her palm the entire way as though it held gold.

When she inadvertently looked up, Hachiman's tall back entered her sight.

She did not know why Hachiman knew about her meeting with the clerk, nor did she know why he knew that the clerk was actually one of her obsessed fans.

But she did not want to dwell on those things. All she knew was that Hachiman's appearance had driven away the darkness in her heart.

"Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm?"

"I... I'll work hard to change in the future. I'll work hard to become someone who can bravely hold her head high and face the world.

So... so, can you..."

Hachiman suddenly stopped and turned around with a smile. Before Sakura could react, he reached out and placed a hand on her head.

"Of course. I'll stay behind you and witness your growth properly."

A nameless wind swept through, stirring their hair and school uniforms.

"Do your best!"

"Yeah!"

It was a promise belonging to the two of them, a promise difficult to forget.

As they resumed their walk toward the Dormitory, several people approached from ahead.

The one at the front was Ryuen.

He had several lackeys with him, and a smile that made people tremble on his face. This time, he said nothing to Hachiman, but his smiling eyes carried a chilling glint.

The groups passed each other. As Ryuen walked past Hachiman, Hachiman calmly glanced at him.

Ryuen-kun, perhaps I should thank you.

Thank you for everything you did, which allowed me to plant a seed in Airi Sakura's heart.

All I needed to do next was keep watering it. One day, she would bloom into a beautiful flower.

And she would be a one-of-a-kind flower that only I, Hachiman Hikigaya, could pick.

Not only that, after this incident, my bonds with my classmates became even deeper.

Without you, I really could not have accomplished that so easily.

That was why I especially wanted to thank you—for becoming my tool and helping me achieve my goal.

Did you think everything you did had put me in danger?

No. Even without Airi Sakura, I had more than enough ways to prove my innocence.

From the very beginning, you never had any chance of winning this confrontation.

Hachiman silently deleted a recording from his phone—a recording of a confession from a beautiful youth.